


SARADA

by user86 (hentaetae)



Series: The Ninth Hokage [4]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25052719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hentaetae/pseuds/user86
Summary: Will there be a Ninth Hokage?
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Katou Dan/Tsunade, Kawaki/Uchiha Sarada, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Fugaku/Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Sarada/Uzumaki Boruto
Series: The Ninth Hokage [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2175789
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	SARADA

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve taken some liberties with (potential) abilities, mostly because I disagree with how a lot of the characters are portrayed lol but for the most part, this follows canonical events. This story spoils the Uchiha rotten as I love Sakura and Sarada and find it unbelievable that Boruto (thus far) has barely developed the two. You’re telling me there’s now two people with the Sharingan and the threat to the Uchiha bloodline is over???? YEAH RIGHt. BoruSara. SasuSaku. With some other relationships explored as well (NaruHina). Slow burn might turn M we’ll see hehe. Also a sprinkle of time travel. The storyline follows the events from Tsunade’s creation of Creation Rebirth up to Boruto and Kawaki’s battle at the Valley of the End, starring mostly female, and some male, characters. I love Naruto and Boruto, but they’ve always done female characters dirty. It’s gonna be a long one, kiddos, so buckle in.

When it began, she could barely hear Boruto over the cacophony of shrieks and cries that surrounded them, but the fear on his face as he wrenched the ground apart, leaving them on opposite sides, was enough. “Don’t come after me! Whatever happens, you have to live.” His eyes blazed bluer somehow across the distance. The wind blew mercilessly and in that moment Sarada felt its whip was divine punishment for her mistakes. She turned tail and ran.

*******

“Sarada!” Konohamaru-sensei’s scream had reverberated in her bones before the stone wall of Konoha’s emergency bunker had slammed shut between them. She’d narrowly escaped crashing into it headfirst by blasting one of Aunt Temari’s wind techniques out of the gauntlet on her wrist. The recoil thrust her backwards, right over the edge of the precarious pathway that led to the stronghold. She fell, tree canopies rushing up to meet her, scraping her palms as she struggled to get a hold on the branches with chakra.

 _Sarada!_ Aunt Ino’s voice in her head was pained, as if she were stretched to her limit.

 _I’m fine! Don’t_ —the link broke and Sarada swore.

Her hands finally caught on a sturdier one and she used her remaining momentum to swing herself up, landing in a shaky crouch on the rough bark. The sun had almost set and her eyes followed to where its final rays touched: the Valley of the End. She had no doubt that was where Boruto was headed. She needed to run far, far away, right now. She needed to find Mama and Papa. She made to stand up and then—

 _“Come with me_.” _She stared at the outstretched hand in front of her, met the unyielding black eyes searing into her own._

_”How can you do this?” she whispered tonelessly, watching him intertwine their fingers as if she was outside her body. The vibrations of the karma mark on his palm raised goosebumps on her skin._

_He didn’t answer, instead moving closer until their foreheads touched. She fisted one hand in his shirt, hating him, hating her tears more. Without warning, she shoved him away. He crashed into the side of the village gate opposite them._

_“I’ll kill you myself.” Her voice trembled with fury as she stalked towards him. “I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth.”_

_Kawaki’s smile was crooked. “That’s what I always loved about you, Uchiha.”_

The intensity of the memory nearly made her lose her footing. She placed a hand against the tree trunk for support, retching weakly. She had not had an episode since before he left, over two years ago now. Grimacing, she started leaping through the forest, in the opposite direction from the Valley.

*******

Sarada ran, leaves whipping her face, kunai slashing at stray branches, chasing the ghost of her parents’ chakra. Smoke had turned the midnight sky an ashy gray and the village was so far behind her now that she could almost mistake its orange flames for a campfire. Up ahead, the path she’d been roughly following gave way to a cliff. Panting, she treaded as close to the edge as she dared, staring down into the narrow valley below. If there had been a river running through it at some point, it was gone now. She couldn’t see her parents anywhere.

Channeling chakra to her feet, she zigzagged downwards. At the bottom, cradled by the looming sides of the valley, it seemed inconceivable that the village was burning, that her parents were hurt—or worse—dead, that Boruto and Kawaki were battling it out at the Valley of the End, that she didn’t know where Mitsuki or ChoCho were, or Himawari, or any of her friends, that maybe she was all alone.

For a moment, she shut her eyes, wincing at the dryness from smoke exposure. She activated her Sharingan behind closed lids and pressed both palms to them. With some effort, she pumped healing chakra to her ocular nerves. Slowly, her sense of calm returned.

Concentrating, she tried to feel for her parents’ unmistakeable and opposing chakra signatures. Minutes passed and a bead of sweat slid down her spine. _Nothing._ Disappointed, Sarada opened her crimson eyes, surveying her surroundings for any sign of dimensional tear or evidence of portal usage. It was highly likely her father had used his Rinnegan to escape, but she found it hard to believe that her parents had left no sign for her behind. _Maybe they didn’t have time_ , she thought.

She began to follow the winding, dried river as she assessed her options. The thought of going after Boruto burned a hole like acid in her stomach— _No, don’t think about him_. She had to convince herself her friends had gotten to the safety of the bunker or else she’d lose her mind. She contemplated finding refuge in one of her father’s mentor’s many hideouts, the locations of which she was vaguely familiar with, but the idea of waiting it out only made her more nervous. She could try and summon Aoda or Garuda, but she doubted they would know of her parents’ whereabouts. _Besides, Mama and Papa might need them more than I do._

Just this morning, she had awoken to the sound of her parents’ muted laughter in the kitchen. For a moment, she had lain perfectly still, enjoying the serenity that came with knowing everything in her life was in its correct place. Trying to give them as much alone time as possible, she’d prolonged her morning routine of showering and getting dressed. Finally, when she could take the grumbling of her stomach no longer, she’d slipped on her jonin vest and tiptoed down the stairs. She’d just caught a glimpse of her father tucking a strand of her mother’s hair behind her ear followed by some intense eye contact that she was giddily hoping would lead to something more—

Finally the stress of holding it all together got the better of her and she let out an anguished shout, punching her fist repeatedly into the hard rock of the valley wall. Very quickly, her anger was replaced with pain as she felt blood trickle over her knuckles. Not bothering to heal it, _I deserve it for that stupid outburst_ , she continued walking.

The sound of her footsteps echoed eerily. Lighting the way with a small flame on her palm, Sarada shivered at the silence. There were no insects chirping, no sounds from the normally lively nocturnal wildlife that made itself heard on nearly every mission she’d had on the outskirts of the village. A faint splash alerted her to the fact that she’d stepped in a puddle. Immediately, she froze. It hadn’t rained in Konohagakure for weeks. No sooner had she bent down for inspection that a piercing pain raced through her head. Her control slipped and her makeshift lantern petered out instantly. She pressed her forehead to the valley floor, moaning incoherently.

_“You love me, don’t you?” Kawaki’s mouth at her ear made her heart pound so loud it almost drowned out his soft whisper._

_They sat on the pier in the Uchiha district, the clear water rippling with the colours of dusk. Embarrassed, she kept her face turned away, trying desperately to deactivate the Sharingan his words had involuntarily activated._

_He tenderly pushed a lock of her hair away from her neck, placing his lips there instead._

_“Sarada.” Boruto’s voice was flat. They both twisted to look at him. He gazed at them too impassively, arms folded across his chest, and Sarada knew she’d be hearing about this from her father_ _later._

_“What?” she barked. His eyes widened fractionally. “What is it?”_

_“Your Sharingan…there’s three tomoe…”_

_Disentangling herself from Kawaki’s embrace, she stood up. The wood planks creaked in protest as she closed her eyes, tracing her chakra configurations to visualize their shape. It was nowhere near as effective as her mother’s sensory jutsu, which could sketch intricate structures and details and had revolutionized infiltration missions as well as medicine, but it was enough for her to realize he was right._

_Calloused fingers tilted her chin up and she met Kawaki’s knowing stare. Her stomach flipped uneasily and she slapped his hand away. “Congratulations, Uchiha,” he smirked, not bothered by her behaviour in the slightest._

_“The Hokage wants to see you,” Boruto said. She’d almost forgotten he was there._

_Before she could react, Kawaki leaned forward and slanted their mouths so they met. “Bye,” he said in a low timbre that made her jittery. She caught Boruto’s frown in her peripheral vision._

_In her haste, she didn’t reply to his farewell and hurried away from both the boys, following the darkening path to the Village center_ _._

Sarada’s eyes jolted open. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. The air was charged, like in the aftermath of her Chidori. Mud dripped into her lashes as she sat up, looking around anxiously. She’d collapsed in the middle of an open ravine, an easy target for any enemy. There was a sour taste in her mouth and she cursed her brain for this particular form of torture. _Why? After all this time, why now?_

Instinctively, she sought out light, eyes flicking up to a blood moon, red meeting red. It floated high in the sky, held up by impossibly strong unseen forces, visible now that she’d passed through the shelter of the forest above her. Something about the sight made her dizzy again, but she found it impossible to tear her gaze away.

It seemed to be smiling down at her and she returned the gesture dopily. In the back of her mind, a voice screamed to look away. Her voice. She watched, transfixed, as a woman emerged from its surface, encompassing the entire width of the sky. Sarada saw herself reflected in glassy eyes—Byakugan, she realized—before two huge dollops of water were unceremoniously dumped on her. The woman’s tears created huge puddles, rapidly reforming the dried river. Her fear of drowning was displaced by the feel of the woman’s slender fingers caressing her cheek.

“Little Uchiha.” Sarada felt the booming voice cascade over her and the tomoes of her Sharingan spun wildly. “I sense Indra in you.” All the strength left Sarada’s limbs when she noticed the huge Rinne Sharingan on the woman’s forehead. Her downturned red lips expressed deep sorrow and her white hair fell in sheets that tickled Sarada’s arms and legs. The horns at the crown of her head shone regally in the now white moonlight.

Every nerve ending in Sarada’s body refused to believe her eyes. Kaguya Ootsutsuki’s jarring beauty had not been done justice in history books. Her father and the Nanadaime had locked the Rabbit Goddess up for good. How was she here?

“I cannot leave this prison,” the woman continued as if she’d read her mind, sadness in every line of her face, “but it is enough to hold one of my children again.” Unable to control herself, Sarada leaned into her touch, even as alarms went off in her head. Her presence was numbing, as if the gravity of the Earth had suddenly increased tenfold.

“How are you here?” Sarada whispered hoarsely.

“I am the protector of this nursery,” the woman declared simply, “My duty is not over.”

Sarada had been taught the same as all Konoha academy students: that Kaguya Ootsutsuki was sent to guard the God Tree so as to harvest its fruit and return it to her clan. Instead, she had consumed it and become the first wielder of chakra on Earth. The woman in front of her was so powerful Sarada considered throwing herself at her mercy. She began to weep openly.

“Do not cry, child,” the Goddess soothed.

“What do you want with me?” Sarada cried.

A smile curling her red lips upwards, Kaguya beckoned Sarada to come closer. “You will be another manifestation of my will, darling.” She pointed at her Rinne Sharingan and Sarada’s eyes followed obediently.

Like a giant screen, Sarada watched scenes play out on the purple rings, which were large enough to swallow her whole, causing the same discomfort as staring into her father’s did.

Dozens of pale-skinned Ootsutsuki, dressed in ethereal robes and adorned with horns of various shapes and sizes on their heads, stood in a crude imitation of a sealing circle, white light emanating from each one. Sarada recognized Kaguya and Momoshiki immediately, jerking back at their ageless appearance.

“Urashiki,” one Ootsutsuki called another, the name stirring vague familiarity in Sarada. “Is it ready?”

“The following seeds have been confirmed to have adequate space curvature.” When he turned his face, Sarada suddenly recalled Boruto’s description of the man. The perpetual amusement in his eyes added a lightheartedness to his demeanor that the others lacked.

Wordlessly, the Ootsutsuki arranged themselves into pairs. Sarada strained to see Kaguya’s partner, but while his wide build suggested he was male, his face was frustratingly out of view. “Isshiki,” Kaguya murmured reverentially, both in the memory and in front of her, and the emotion in her voice led Sarada to believe there was much love lost between them. They clasped hands and the scene changed abruptly.

Kaguya’s cries of pain rang out clearly in the quiet night air and then other, smaller, cries joined hers and Sarada’s eyebrows shot to her hairline at the sight of the Sage of Six Paths and his brother, covered in birthing liquids, eyes shut tight as they made their presence known to the world.

“Kaguya,” the disapproving voice belonged to a male Ootsutsuki towering over Kaguya’s prone form, face just out of reach of the dim torchlights that encircled the woman. “What have you done?” he yelled suddenly, shocking the twins into silence.

The resounding slap that followed made Sarada yelp and cover her mouth in horror. The Rabbit Goddess turned on her side and threw up blood. She glared up at the man, breathing hard. “Leave, Isshiki, before I do something I’ll regret.”

He scoffed at her weak state in disgust, “I cannot believe you let that human touch you.”

Kaguya snarled and Sarada felt her killing intent seep through the memory. Two humongous chakra fists reached for the other Ootsutsuki, who flicked them aside like it was child’s play, instead toeing one of the bundles lying next to the Ootsutsuki princess. “It seems your lineage will deal with you better than I ever could.”

“Would you like to know why I left you?” Kaguya sneered, words dripping with condescension, “I knew you would never find a vessel.” 

His hand was at her throat in a blink and finally Sarada stared into the face of the man who Kawaki had told her would one day possess him. The horns sprouting from his forehead were chipped and a ringed diamond adorned his chin. The skin around it was grey, as if oxygen-deprived. His Byakugan gleamed with hatred and silky white hair spilled behind him like a waterfall.

“You’re just a human’s whore,” he hissed. Kaguya made a noise as he squeezed tighter, and the twins began wailing again. “You will never escape this body.”

When he finally let go, Sarada released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Kaguya gulped in air greedily, drawing her children into a protective embrace.

He looked down his nose at the great Rabbit Goddess. “On the day of the last dawn, don't forget your duty."

In the next memory, Kaguya looked a little older than Sarada herself. She sat at the center of a tribunal headed by elderly Ootsutsuki. The room curved up into a dome decorated with what she recognized as karma markings: diamonds and circles and stars, interwoven to create a mesh of symbols which hummed with unearthly energy. “Princess Kaguya,” the elders intoned, “You are hereby banished, and your rights to the throne renounced.”

Kaguya didn’t protest at all, just stared blankly into the crowd of onlookers. She seemed to be searching for something, or someone. Her eyes finally stopped on a young girl. Sarada gasped; the girl’s Byakugan were black as night, matching her hair. _She is blind_. Kaguya’s voice in Sarada’s mindspace sounded deceptively familial. Something unspoken passed between them and the girl nodded imperceptibly.

A series of images flashed quickly then, making Sarada lightheaded.

White zombies trotting mechanically forward. _Find my army._

A flower blooming, oozing red chakra. _Bring me the fruit._

Sarada’s left hand around Kawaki’s throat. Sarara’s right hand around Boruto’s throat. _They will destroy chakra. Destroy them._

Sarada was left reeling as the images faded and the Rinne Sharingan closed, skin re-growing to meet in the middle. A shadow shot from the sky like an arrow and she glimpsed golden pupil-less eyes before it reached its target: her body. The force knocked her backwards, mouth open in a voiceless scream. She heard the thud of her skull against the ground as if from far away. It felt as though someone was squeezing her lungs. She screamed in agony as she felt it wriggling within her, settling somewhere in between her ribs.

“Not many women awaken the Sharingan. Don’t fail me this time,” Kaguya said menacingly and Sarada shuddered as the _thing_ inside her hissed in response. The last thing she felt was the Goddess’ cold lips on her forehead before her eyes rolled back into her skull.


End file.
